


The Jedi Vision and the Fate of Valkyria

by Aelfwynn



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rise of Empire Era - All Media Types, Vikings (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Archaeology, Bounty Hunters, Empire, F/M, Hutts, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Imperials, Jedi, Junk Dealers, Making this up as I go along, Nar Shaddaa, Norse History, Possible Romance, Rebellion, Rebels, Star Wars Vikings Crossover, Star Wars Vikings Mashup, Viking History, Xenoarchaeology, huttese, possible Fluff and Smut, possible angst, smuggler, space, starships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2018-09-28 10:53:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10094915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aelfwynn/pseuds/Aelfwynn
Summary: This is a Star Wars and Vikings mashup that takes place between Episode III and Rogue One.  No spoilers, mostly original characters, settings, and events set amongst Canon and Legends / Expanded Universe.Thank you for reading!





	1. Chapter 1

     “Jee yata deez parchee,” Captain Aelfwynn Sunflame insisted, trying not to let her anger, frustration, and quite frankly, desperation show to the Toydarian junk dealer fluttering behind the counter.

  
     She gazed at the sea of dull, grimy, used, spare parts hanging on the wall behind him. She saw a pair of eyes staring back at her in the one clean, shiny surface of a control shift plate. It was the spacetramp she passed on the way in to the shop. She turned her head to peer over her shoulder at him. Her annoyed countenance must have done the trick because he quickly looked away.

  
     She turned back to the blue and purple Toydarian who was rambling a string of excuses about how he no longer had the parts she needed. She had dealings with Gratti before and he had been reliable enough. Towards her anyway. Her fluency in Huttese didn’t hurt. She had even holocalled ahead to make sure he had what she needed. It’s possible the trouble she ran in to on Jedha had something to do with it.

  
     “Meendeeya nobata…” he said tapping his forehead trying to seem to search his memory though she had a feeling he knew exactly where they were. Gratti shrugged his winged shoulders and uttered an apologetic sigh.

  
     “Meendeeya du stuta andoga. Uba settah mee tagwa du parchee wata joppay jee halacomm.”

  
     The Toydarian was about to answer, but his gaze shifted to something behind her.

  
     “Why don’t you take another look?” the spacetramp suggested in Basic as he came up along side her and leaned against the counter, leering at Gratti.

  
     Aelfwynn looked at him and knit her eyebrows together in confusion as to why the spacetramp was meddling in her business and furthermore why he would care at all.

  
     Her demeanor changed when he lowered his hood. She expected a filthy, diseased, old curmudgeon. What was revealed was a rugged, yet strikingly handsome face, not much older than her own twenty six years. Dirty blonde hair brushed against his shoulders, parted in the middle, and sloppily tucked behind his ears. His angular beard hung a few inches down from his chin. What struck her most were those eyes, so much more vibrant now that they were not spying on her in a junky reflection. Icy blue and fierce were they as he stared back at her, she nearly forgot everything else.

  
     She regained her senses and turned back to Gratti. “Parchee, please.”

  
     The spacetramp turned back to the junk dealer and with concentrated determination and a wave of his hand said, “You will find the parts she needs.”

  
     Gratti fretted, or at least that’s what his lavender snout appeared to do. “What business is it to you?”

  
     The spacetramp waved his hand again and repeated, “You will find the parts she needs.”

  
     And Gratti gave the same reply only this time a little louder and enunciating his own annoyance, “What business is it to YOU?!”

  
     “Frak, that usually works.”

  
     “Ha!” Gratti guffawed. “Not on Toydarians, outlander. If I were you, I’d not use that _trick,_ round here, no more.”

  
     The spacetramp cursed under his breath and then reached into his tattered coat. He slammed a rather large amount of credits on to the counter. “The parts she needs, yeah?”

  
     When the Toydarian made no move other than eyeing the credits with suspicion, the spacetramp warned, “The parts. Don’t make me reach in to my coat again.”

  
     “Eniki eniki, jee stuta dee boonkee,” Gratti relented. “But a warning for you: you had better leave Nar Shaddaa soon. Murishani stuta de chuba. Chone D'emperiolo…” He disappeared to the back room storage.

  
     Aelfwynn glared at him. “Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing? I don’t know you from a gundark.”

  
     He made a sarcastic face and said, “Ragnar. I thought I could help.”

  
     She did not take the hand he offered. “I don’t care who you are. And though the sentiment is appreciated, I have no place in my life for your kind. The last thing I need is more Imps on my tail.”

  
     Stories floated around the galaxy, from spaceport to spaceport. How the new Emperor bid his minions to exterminate the Jedi. How so many had already been hunted down by some half human, half robotic assassin named Vader. To harbor one was of equal guilt as being one.

  
      _“More_ Imperials? Are you in trouble?”

  
      _Frak._

  
     “Isn't everyone in this place?”

  
     “I mean no offense, I-“

  
     “I’m not stupid. I know you want something in return.”

  
     Ragnar's eyes and mouth twitched into a guilty smile. “Well I was hop-”

  
     “No.”

  
     Her tone was abrupt and firm. She stared at him, waiting for him to continue pestering her. Instead, he returned the stare.

  
     Truth be told, she would not mind pairing up with him. Especially as those icy blue eyes of his peered into hers as if they had an agenda of their own. But a Jedi… She was in enough trouble as it was. Oh how she wished she could have just gotten the parts she needed and not have to deal with this nonsense, especially after what she's been through.

  
     “Take your credits,” she gestured to the counter. “I don’t need them, or your help.”

  
     Aelfwynn could feel his eyes on her still, studying her for a crack in her shell he could get through, but she continued to ignore him. He finally sighed heavily and left. Her head made an attempt to look back, but she stopped herself and settled for watching his figure leaving in the metallic reflection of the shift plate she saw him in before. Her heart felt stupid and heavy when she realized he did not turn to look back at her.

  
     She could not shake a feeling she had about him. Perhaps it was his slight accent, it seemed so familiar. He seemed familiar.

  
     It was best to turn down his money and deny him whatever he wanted in return. If he was a real Jedi, it probably wasn’t good. If he was an Imp or bounty hunter, really not good.

  
     Gratti finally returned from the back with a G2 repair droid modified to do moderately heavy lifting. When the droid greeted her with a hello and question regarding her well being, it was painfully obvious the G2 model's unusual penchant for chit chat had not been modified.

  
     “Shut up, droid. Just put the parts up there and scat.”

  
     The little droid did as it was told, but not without commenting on the volume of the security sirens that echoed outside and how odd it was that a place like Nar Shaddaa would even have a security force.

  
     “These G2s, makes me wish I had a good old pit droid instead!” Gratti exclaimed.

  
     When she heard the droid whimper, Aelfwynn said, “Oh I dunno, he’s just being friendly.”

  
     If a droid could smile, she guessed the G2 was doing just that as he bowed to her and bid her good evening and sauntered off.

  
     “Parchee uba yata,” Gratti said. He eyed his shop for extra ears then leaned closer to her. “I’m sorry for earlier, but, there’s been rumors, bad business, eh? You had better get your ship outta here quick. I have Grakkus the Hutt's protection. You don’t.”

  
     Aelfwynn nodded with solemn appreciation. “Leah bargon kuteela, Gratti.” She placed credits on the counter. The spacetramp / Jedi / Imp / Ragnar / nerfherder - who ever the Hel he was - never took his credits back. A greedy glimmer twinkled in Gratti's eyes as he scooped them all up and put them in his safe.

  
     With a nod, Aelfwynn placed the parts on her portable repulsorlift and headed to her speederbike. “Me jewz ku, Gratti. Thanks.”

  
     Gratti waved. “Be safe.”

  
     Outside, Aelfwynn became more aware of her surroundings, which on the Smuggler's Moon, was necessary anyway. Whatever was illegal everywhere else in the galaxy, was legal here, and in most cases not even monitored. She picked up her pace, believing Gratti’s concern was sincere.

  
     The parts were secured in the speeder’s back rack when she heard two metal feet clanking on the duracrete of the parking zone. She put her hand on her blaster instinctively and tensed, perking up her ears.

  
     “Captain Sunflame, I have very pleasant news for you,” a robotic voice called out as its owner click clacked towards her. A voice she recognized.

  
     The little G2 droid stood before her. “Gratti has given me permission to work for you. That was awfully nice of him, if I may say.”

  
     Aelfwynn eyed the droid as if it was a timed thermal detonator. Or perhaps it was a spy. She hoped Gratti would not sink to that level, but he did originally deny her the parts. His bottom line and life were worth more than hers, she was sure.

     “Sorry, G2-uh..”

  
     “No, it is I that am sorry, Captain Sunflame. We were not properly introduced. I am G2-40. It will be such a pleasure to work for you. You are a kind human. Gratti was-”

  
     “Listen, G2-40, you’re a great little droid, but, I just don’t… I can’t take you without Gratti saying so.”

  
     “Well you are fortunate as I mentioned the very same issue to Gratti.” A sensor lens on the droids chest plate whirred and a hologram appeared of Gratti.

  
      “Take him, please! He won’t shut up about you. No charge, no worries. Oh yeah, and I told him to look out for you.” The hologram sputtered and disappeared.

  
     G2-40 looked at her with pleading eyes. How did droids do that anyway?

  
     “Okay, okay.” She mounted the speederbike and gestured for the little droid to as well.

  
     As she revved up the engine, she began to understand why Gratti gave the droid away.

  
     “It is a lovely evening for a drive through the city. I do so like the twinkle of the neon lights. I think I will miss them the most.”

     Aelfwynn smiled. It would be nice to have company again. That didn’t mean she did not fully intend to give him a thorough scan for any hidden components when she got back to her ship.

  
     “Hold on, Forty, here we go.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a Star Wars and Vikings mashup that takes place between Episode III and Rogue One. No spoilers, mostly original characters, settings, and events set amongst Canon and Legends / Expanded Universe.  
> Thank you for reading!

     The visions were not always the same, but she was always in them. Sometimes just a cloudy image of her face, beautiful as it was. Sometimes running, sometimes gesturing, or sometimes just standing still.

     As she was now.

     Along with her, were visions of the moon they were currently on, Nar Shaddaa. Its gritty, city canvas decorated by neon lights of every color, twinkling joyfully amongst an otherwise dismal landscape inhabited by an even more dismal array of characters, morally speaking anyway.

     Ragnar Starbrook fought himself to stay away, to remain in hiding, but the more he resisted, the more vivid and pressing the visions became. Finally, he could resist no longer and made his way to the renegade moon.

     Masquerading as a spacetramp, he fit right in with the smugglers, bounty hunters, gamblers, and a criminal underworld that was actually more like an overworld as there were nary a few reputable places one could feel safe and the moon’s security force usually turned a blind eye anyway.

     One of his visions featured her amongst spare parts of every kind. Ragnar had systematically visited every junk shop and yard he could find, but nothing ever seemed familiar.

     Until tonight.

     Ragnar thought he was just crazy when he searched for weeks and weeks to never even get close to any sort of proof that she existed at all. The thought of giving up occurred more than once.

     He could not believe that the woman in his visions actually did exist and was standing just meters away.

     His shock did not diminish his ability to take in the small details. When she had entered the junk shop, her right hand fidgeted closely to her blaster holster as if on high alert. Her blonde hair escaped in wisps from a scarf like head covering that was obviously an attempt to hide her identity.

     Ragnar studied the young woman as she bargained with the Toydarian. She was even more beautiful than she appeared in his visions, despite a scar that ran across her right brow and continued on her cheek. The pale crystal blue of her eyes was heightened by the smudge of dark cosmetics she used. His eyes travelled down her body as she stood at the counter. A short jacket hid her waist, but snug pants enhanced the roundness of her curvy hips, and rather shapely ass.

     As she walked past him upon entering the shop, he breathed in the swirl of air left in her wake, a complex scent that was a combination of the electric, metallic dirtiness of a starship with a delicate, flowery perfume scent of a woman. He could always pick up the scent of women, but her scent drove him to bask in her sweetness longer than usual.

     There was a reason he never made it to the rank of Jedi Knight other than the Empire’s crackdown. His appreciation for the female form got him in to trouble on more than one occasion.

     So he had found her, now what?  His visions were just that. There were never any instructions or cause and effect, only images and feelings. Too many feelings for his liking.

     It seemed like she was in trouble, was he to protect her?

     It was a shock to him when she was defiantly stubborn about accepting his help with the parts she needed and he did not want to persuade her in other ways. Jedi mind tricks were all right for strangers he would never see again, they were not suitable for use on her if he ultimately meant to discover the truth behind his visions.

     She may have denied his help before, but he had no intention of letting that be the end of it. He took to spying on her from afar. She had finally left with the parts and a droid.

     With no speeder of his own, he could not follow her. He had picked up her metaphysical signature with the Force. He closed his eyes and by honing in on her signature, was able to follow her through the skylanes, rounding the corners of Nar Shaddaa's florescent lit skyscrapers until finally coming to a landing platform that reached above the clouds. Once he had her destination in his mind, Ragnar wasted no time in hitchhiking his way there by hopping from one vehicle in motion to another.

     The platform where her ship was docked was attached to one of ten walkways that spread out from a central hub. The central hub hosted a fueling station, shops that sold quick stop restock items like food and toiletries, and a customary, seedy cantina.

     Because the platform reached so high into the atmosphere, security was even more non-existent than the lower levels which led to an even seedier than usual gaggle of ruffians that came and went at all hours.

     She must be in a bit more trouble than him if she was brave enough to land her ship here.

     He found a flickering lamp post to lean against that had a decent vantage point and drew his coat tighter around his body. The bitter cold of the wind this high up was nearly unbearable. It whirred, whistled, and whipped around as a constant reminder of how furless creatures like him should not be in it.

     Looking from under his hood, he could see her direct the droid with the parts she needed to repair what seemed to be a Class B or so model of Corellian freighter, the kind of ship that was meant for small, quick shipments, often used by MedCorp. He had been passenger on a similar ship as a Padawan on a humanitarian mission to Ryloth.

     From his distance, he could not make out too many details, but he could get an idea of what happened. There was carbon scoring on several locations of the hull, a sure indication of damage from a laser cannon. The deflector shield must have been heavily modified to accommodate that amount of fire. The blast points seemed to target specific systems, namely the hyperdrive and engines. From the silhouette of one of the parts she obtained, Ragnar guessed the shields took a bit as well.

     It was unclear whether the hits were from an Imperial ship or squadron or a bounty hunter, but judging by the circumstances of her situation, it was evident that the Empire was behind the attack somehow. By targeting specific systems, it was also evident she was wanted alive.

     During his junk shop search for her, Ragnar also made a point to check the bounty rolls. Hundreds, maybe thousands of faces flickered past his eyes, but he had never seen hers. He wished his visions were more telling, but it appeared he would have to wait for answers.

     After a concerned look around, she disappeared up the ramp in to the ship with the droid.

     Ragnar took this moment to slide his back down the post and sit in a meditative stance. With a deep breath and exhalation, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind. Perhaps a little meditation would help him discover what was to transpire, and more importantly, why?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a Star Wars and Vikings mashup that takes place between Episode III and Rogue One. No spoilers, mostly original characters, settings, and events set amongst Canon and Legends / Expanded Universe.  
> Thank you for reading!

     There was a lull in the severity of the cold, blade like, upper atmosphere winds that encompassed the landing platform upon which Aelfwynn Sunflame’s starship was docked. This allowed her to finally get to the repairs she needed to make on the ship’s damaged topside hull.

  
     Aelfwynn had spent the previous thirty to forty hours doing all she could inside; she was particularly relieved to have the hyperdrive system back online.

  
     The little droid that Gratti had gifted to her came in quite handy, having hauled the required parts and tools here and there where they were required. He also was able to help with the actual repairs. But it took about twenty of those previous hours to get used to his endless chattering, though she found it to be a welcome distraction from the reason she needed to stop at Nar Shaddaa in the first place.

  
     She commanded the droid to park himself at the foot of the ramp and be a lookout as she worked and to not say a word unless there was something to report. Her spine tensed when Forty’s voice sounded in her earpiece. “Captain Sunflame, my photoreceptors have picked up the approach of a humanoid.”

  
     “Frak. Krif. Frak.” Aelfwynn’s heart pounded hard and fast, and then she began to shiver anxiously. She was halfway through fixing the deflector shield. There was no way to speed through it to speed away.

  
     The repairs would be for naught if she had been tracked down. She had been indelibly lucky before. With it still out of commission, the possibility that she would be making the proverbial final jump fell upon her like the weight of the ship itself.

  
     “Apologies, Captain Sunflame, is that some sort of code?”

  
     “What? No. Are they Imperials? Bounty hunters?” She hastily cranked the hydrospanner and waited for a reply.

  
     “It appears to be one human man. He is wearing a thick black coat. The hood is up, I can not comment on his facial identity. He does not fit the description of an Imperial Trooper or Officer. He does not appear to be carrying any weapon customary of a bounty hunter.”

  
     Aelfwynn knit her eyebrows together as she came to the realization of who the one human man was. She lowered her safety glasses, letting them hang around her neck, and hesitantly walked across the hull and got a glimpse of the dark figure who with an infuriatingly confident air, strode down the docking platform gangway toward her.

  
     An odd sensation filled her heart that continued to thump as if it were punching its way out of her chest. Despite the chill of the whipping winds, she felt her skin perspire; her palms were slick with sweat. She was overcome with relief that it was not an Imp or Bounty incursion, but there was a lingering of inconvenient dread at having her repairs interrupted by that spacetramp Jedi.

  
     She came to the edge of the ship as he stopped just beneath her and raised his eyes towards hers. His hood fell back and she heard Forty utter in her earpiece that the human's face had a 99.9 percent probability of being a match to the human man that was in Gratti's shop the evening she was.

  
     “It was also the same very evening which I came to be in your service, Captain Sunflame. Do you remember when Gratti freed me and sent me to you. It was a lovely-“

  
     Aelfwynn took her earpiece out. The point at which she stood on the hull was a good three and a half meters from the platform. She hovered over Ragnar the spacetramp Jedi and made her displeasure known by her expression. Especially since it seemed he was eyeing her figure; she was wearing a white blouse that loosened around her chest with every flurry of wind and no doubt revealed just how cold it was.

  
     The Jedi could not hide how his gaze settled on the bare skin of her collarbone, shoulders, and cleavage he got a peek of every time a gust shifted the fabric. Nor could he hide the brief moment of bodily want in his eyes.

  
     It might have been just a nuisance that she shared equal appreciation of his handsomeness and tall, broad shouldered physique. Those eyes, though darkness enveloped the platform, they somehow found a way to reflect a piercing blue light that was maddening in the way it enraptured her senses.

  
      _No. No. Just_ _no_.

  
     “What do you want!?” she snapped. That brought his attention back to the moment. And hers.

  
     “I…” Caught by his indiscretion, Ragnar stammered. “I just want to talk.”

  
     “As you can see, I don’t have the time or patience. Good-bye!” Aelfwynn felt a little more depressed than she would like to admit when she turned her back on him and returned to the deflector shield.

  
     A clanking of foot steps echoing hers made Aelfwynn turn around, only to see that the Jedi, naturally, had found a way topside and was following her.

  
     Forty followed shortly after. She did not need the earpiece to hear the little droid warn, “Captain Sunflame! The intruder is on top of the ship!”

  
     Aelfwynn waved to Forty and shouted, “It’s all right, Forty. Good job.” The droid was pleased and turned to be a lookout now from the edge of the ship.

  
     She now directed her agitation to the Jedi. “Incorrigible.” She clucked her tongue.

  
     Ragnar shrugged his shoulders.

  
     She knelt down and continued with the repair.

  
     He lowered down to one knee beside her.

  
     “I guess you know that I am, uh, Force Sensitive.”

  
     “Which is exactly why I don’t want anything to do with you,” Aelfwynn replied while cranking her wrench. She could not tell if she liked or disliked how close he was to her. She still could not quite place the familiar accent he had.

  
     “Do not think that I do not understand your concern, nor do I take it lightly. It is just that I…have had premonitions of you.”

  
     Aelfwynn stopped what she was doing and wrinkled her forehead at him. “So you put my life in danger because of some wet dreams you had? Thanks a lot.”

  
     Ragnar growled, stood up, and walked away.

  
      _Good,_ she thought, maybe he will leave her alone now.

  
     To her dismay, he did not go far, and after running his hands through his hair and down his face in a fed up manner, Ragnar returned and knelt back down beside her.

  
     “I said premonitions, like visions of the future, but some have already come to pass.”

  
     After some struggle she had gotten the burned out neutrino radiator lifted from its compartment, and lowered the replacement in. She took a moment to look at him.

  
     “What has come to pass exactly?”

  
     “I saw you. Amongst junk. Er, spare parts, like at the Toydarian’s.”

  
     “Uh yeah, because I was there and saw you, too.”

  
     “No. I mean I had a vision of that meeting moons before it happened. That is the definition of a premonition.” He gave her a snarky look.

  
     She returned the snark, and grabbed the hydrospanner and waved it at him as she spoke. “So you dreamed of me in a junkshop, so what?”

  
     “Exactly. So what? I am trying to figure that out. There is always a purpose for a vision. I know you are in danger.”

  
     “Ha! Any drukhead with half a brain could figure that out,” she gestured to all of the scorch marks on her ship.

  
     “They might not figure out that you have a Jedi artifact in your possession.” Ragnar's eyes twitched with brightness as he anticipated her reaction.

  
     Aelfwynn froze. She turned to him and with a stern, yet indifferent tone said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s time for you to go.”

  
     Ragnar pleaded. “I can help you. I was _meant_ to help you.”

  
     Deep down, she longed for the help he offered. She was exhausted; she felt like her ship looked. In truth, she was not sure why she fought so much to survive. But, she was already a target and could lead danger to him, get him killed. And he was already a target and could lead danger to her, get her killed. It was a poodoo situation all around.

  
     “I know what is going through your mind,” he said. “I believe we are meant to be together. I mean to…travel together.” Ragnar tilted his head as the corners of his mouth twitched into a slight smile.

  
      _He certainly was very twitchy_.

  
     “Get killed together, you mean. Traipsing around the galaxy with a Jedi?” She shook her head. She could not take any more chances. Forty would be the only travelling companion she would have from now on. “No, thank you,” she said.

  
     “Technically, I am not officially a Jedi Knight,” he jested.

  
     A roll of her eyes followed. “But you are Force Sensitive,” Aelfwynn argued. “They are after you which means they will be after me, and they are already after me so...”

  
     Before he could say another word, Aelfwynn continued. “Look, this is my ship and my life, and you need to respect my decision, which is for you to leave. We will not be ‘travelling’ together; I don’t care what vision or dream or Jedi nonsense you’re up to.” She rose to her feet and pointed with the spanner the direction she wanted him to go.

  
     He stood and sighed. “I have seen the inside of your ship, we _will_ be travelling together.”

  
     “Don’t even think about stowing away, or I’ll hand us both over,” she threatened, though she was not quite sure how threatening she was standing in his much taller shadow. Not to mention she was bluffing.

  
     Ragnar hissed, but knowing what he knew, relinquished the debate, walked to the edge of the ship, and with the typical grace of a Jedi, leaped down to the platform.

  
     Aelfwynn walked to the edge of the ship herself and frowned as she watched him draw his hood up and walk away. Her sadness turned to anger. She had enough problems to deal with and did not need one more.

  
     Forty sidled up next to her and she pat his head.

  
     Hopefully, this time, the Jedi would stay away.

  
     She had a feeling he would not though.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

     If not for his premonitions, Ragnar Starbrook would have given up and returned to his hideaway and home after their first meeting at the junkshop. Her stubbornness was infuriating. But the seriousness of the trouble she was in, and more importantly to his Jedi kind, the object she had in her possession, outweighed his personal frustration.

     Time was running out for him to negotiate his way on to her ship. She seemed to be working night and day to repair it, and when Ragnar did not see her, he saw the droid filling in. He had heard that droid call her Captain Sunflame, and realized he did not know her common name.

     After downing a Mandalorian Ale and hoping he would not have to suffer this world much longer, Ragnar headed back to his lamp post only to be overcome with fear. Her fear.

     He closed his eyes and cleared his mind. She was inside her ship, her heart was beating with a quick, yet calm, reserved to her fate cadence. Ragnar could somehow see what she was seeing on her viewscreen: a group of five male humans wearing disguises not unlike his own walking down the gangway. It was painfully obvious by the leader’s clean shaven face and side parted hair, and clenching of his hands behind his back as he walked, that he was an Imperial Officer. The other four all had wraps to hide their faces and walked in paired formation, stupidly carrying Imperial issue rifles.

     With haste he raced towards the gangway that lead to her ship.

     “Nawt zo fahst….Jeedi.”

     Ragnar stopped in his tracks as two bounty hunters stepped in front of him, blocking his way. The one that spoke was a snarling Trandoshan, saliva dripped from her pointy teeth as she struggled with Standard Basic. A good foot taller than Ragnar, she stared down her snout at him with the customary arrogance that most bounty hunters flaunted in his experience.

     Her companion was a bulky, muscled human male who appeared to have several cosmetic enhancements to make him appear more Trandoshan, including lizard like scales tattooed across his skin, implants to give him head crests, and slitted yellow eye lenses.

     The human hissed through teeth filed to points and taunted Ragnar with an electrostaff and net. He certainly was dedicated.

     “Wegh can do theess the eessy wegh or the hahrd wegh,” the Trandoshan said.

     Why did bounty hunters always say stupid things like that?

     Ragnar looked beyond them to the Imps who had by now reached the ship. The officer and two troopers stood in front of the entrance ramp. Where were the other two troopers?

     He looked at the bounty hunters with narrowed eyes and said, “The easy way.”

     Ragnar focused the force from his core to his fingers and with a large motion of both hands lifted and shoved both hunters off the ground and to the side, out of his way. He did not waste any time to see if they were incapacitated or if any one else saw him use his powers.

     Running down the walkway, he could see her being pushed down the ramp by the other two troopers. The blood dripping from a head wound did not deter her struggle. With her hands bound behind her back, Captain Sunflame was forced on her knees in front of the officer, but that was all Ragnar got to see before an electrified rope net tangled in his legs and jolted white hot sparks of energy through every muscle in his body.

     Grunting and writhing in pain, Ragnar struggled to kick off the net. While bolts of electricity burned through him, he caught glimpses of her and the Imps. A trooper had just rammed the butt of his rifle into her skull. Ragnar saw her stunned and fighting to not fall to the ground.

     With as much focus as he could muster through the pain, Ragnar kicked free from the net and used the Force to hurl it at the Trandoshan. He saw her companion trip over himself to remotely un-electrify it with a keypad on his left gauntlet and run to her aid.

     Once again Ragnar ran down the gangway towards Captain Sunflame. The troopers holding her saw him coming, but before they could get a shot fired, they were force pushed backwards until they slid off the platform completely. Ragnar was trying desperately not to use his lightsaber, but he saw laser bolts shooting toward him from the other two.

     Though he was knowledgeable of the Force, deflecting laser bolts with his hands was beyond his capacity. He reached into his cloak and out came the lightsaber. It’s bluish green glow reminded him of the glacial waters of his homeworld, which is where he wished he were now.

     The laser blasts continued, but now he could hit them away. He angled his saber just right to see one bolt bounce off the blade and knock one of the troopers back. The officer had grabbed the Captain by the arm and dragged her further away from the fighting. He held a pistol to her head as he watched the blaster bolts sear the air, occasionally lifting it to join in the battle, though with terrible aim, it mattered little.

     Ragnar could not get his saber to angle correctly to take out the final Stormtrooper, but made his way towards him hit by hit. With a forward movement of his hand, Ragnar force pushed the trooper off his feet, hurtling over the edge of the platform.

     “Let her go, and I’ll let you go,” Ragnar called out to the officer.

     Ragnar could tell by the officer’s confident expression that he had merely to wait for back up that may be on the way yet. The officer showed no signs of relinquishing his prize.

     And there she was, barely able to remain kneeling, her head wavering in a dazed way, blood gushing from the latest wound she received in the middle of her forehead. Crimson fell in speckled droplets down her nose. Ragnar did not know if she even knew he was there. Her head was pulled back forcefully by the hair, the officer had become annoyed by her faltering.

     Her eyes opened wide and met Ragnar’s. If she did not realize he was there before, she did now. There was a look of confused fear in her eyes. Her breath quickened as her mind seemed to take in what was transpiring. The sight of his lightsaber perplexed her as surely the metal tip of the officer’s pistol digging in to her jawline. One foul move, and her brains would be perplexed no more.

     To be safe on his homeworld was what Ragnar had thought of when his mind drifted earlier. Now, he wished for her to be there, too.

     The blade of his lightsaber diminished back to the hilt and he threw it to the officer’s feet. “Please. Let her go.”

     “I have no intentions of letting her, or you, go anywhere, but aboard the Star Destroyer currently orbiting this scum infested moon.”

     Why did Imperial officers always say stupid things like that?

     Ragnar could see she was on the verge of giving in, giving up. She looked at him with sorrow exhausted eyes and gently shook her head, pleading him not to sacrifice his anonymity for her.

      _I'm not worth it._

     If he learned anything from his visions, it was that she was.

     “Star Destroyer? Please don’t hand me over to Vader!” Ragnar cried out.

     The officer smirked. “You will both be-“

     While Ragnar was sure the smug officer was preoccupied with his own, well, smugness, the Jedi force plucked the pistol from the Imp's grip and sent him, too, hurtling over the edge of the platform.

     The dazed Captain fell over. Ragnar’s lightsaber flew back to his hand and got tucked back inside his coat as he ran to her. He hastily took her into his arms and boarded her ship.

     While searching for a place to put her, he came across the scattered remains of the poor little droid in the galley. He unlocked the binders on her wrists and lay her gently on the grated floor. With both Imperials and bounty hunters after and her, he had to get the ship airborne and far away from here.

     Once in the cockpit, he checked the planetary field’s radar and sure enough not one, but two Star Destroyers, guarded each hemisphere. Surely by now they were alerted to the officer’s failure.

     Prepping the ship took less time than he feared and all necessary systems were in order thanks to her day and night repairs. With his Jedi senses, he hoped getting past the Empire would be equally easy. The ship lifted off the platform, upwards to space, and hopefully, to safety.


	5. Chapter 5

     It was all a blur.

  
     Aelfwynn Sunflame opened her eyes gingerly. Her head throbbed and her body seemed bruised and sluggish. She dissected each ache from head to foot, trying to remember how they came to be.

  
     The Empire had found her.

  
     Surprisingly, she was able to recollect each blow to her skull, from being thrown against the console of her ship to receiving the blunt end of a blaster rifle.

  
     Left eye, jaw, shoulder, ribs, belly, knees, and left ankle made up the rest of her assessment.

  
     She raised her upper body and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Her bed. On her ship.

  
     Ragnar. He rescued her. She did not know if she was relieved or upset by that. Maybe he should have just left her to her fate.

  
     Her legs wobbled, but she made herself to stand. A little dizziness forced her to hold on to whatever was near and move slowly.

  
     “What are you doing?”

  
     Aelfwynn startled backward and Ragnar caught her. She tried to push him away, but her weak limbs betrayed her. She ended up falling in to him instead, her forehead against his chest. His warm hands enveloped her bodily and with a shiver she realized she was in just her underclothes and a tank top.

  
     Ragnar forced her to sit back on the bed.

  
     “Don’t move.”

  
     He left and returned with a tumbler and gestured with his other hand for her to take what was in it.

  
     “For your head.”

  
     With a defeated sigh she obeyed. “I have to go to the fresher,” she said after downing the medicine and water.

  
     “I’ll help you.”

  
     “I don’t need your help to do that!”

  
     “I meant I will help you walk there,” he rolled his eyes.

  
     She nodded with an annoyed sigh and grabbed some clean clothes.

  
     Ragnar gestured for her to come toward him and he slid his hand around her waist and held her bicep with his other, drawing her close to his body. His grip was strong, yet gentle. He seemed to be taking too much care with her, but he probably did not realize she had been in situations like this before.

  
     A few days ago he had made a prediction that he would be aboard her ship. Or had foreseen or whatever Jedis do. How odd it was that he was indeed on her ship just as he had said. It certainly was not what she wanted, but there certainly was a part of her that was glad he was there.

  
     “Call if you need help, I will be near.”

  
     “I told you I don’t need help.”

  
     “I mean if you have a dizzy spell again.”

  
     Aelfwynn sighed and shut the door on him.

  
     After relieving herself, she looked at her ugly, messed up mug in the mirror. Not as bad as she expected thanks to the bacta patches he placed on her wounds. They did little for the aches she felt all over. The pill he gave her did seem to help the throbbing in her head a little at least.

  
     She turned the shower water on and got undressed. The refresher filled with a cloudy steam that felt luxurious on her bare skin and seemed to seep in to her sore muscles.

  
     The hot water felt equally satisfying. As it washed over her, memories not of the previous day, but of the one time she was beaten with equal force flooded her mind.

  
     It was actually not that long ago. And also how she got the scar that ran across her left eye.

  
     She was not always Captain of the Cobalt Raven. She was an Assistant to her mentor from Coronet University, where she received academic and field training in xenoarchaeology.

  
     Doctor Nezario Keel had an obsession with the Force and those that knew its ways. After an uneventful excavation on Corellia sponsored by the university, Doctor Keel decided to sponsor his own expedition to one of the moons of Yavin.

  
     There apparently had been tales of Sith activity on the planet and giant temples. One phrase her mentor always said was “Where there are temples, there are treasures.” She wasn’t so sure that was a very intellectual thing to say or teach, but the prospect of grand monuments and ancient civilizations was a little bit more exciting than excavating yet another old ship yard or CorSec base on Corellia.

  
     After getting a team together, she, Dr. Keel, and four other colleagues started out on the expedition. There was some odd ship activity over the third quadrant which forced them to land in a secondary location.

  
     It seems it did not matter where they landed because soon after gathering their packs of supplies to examine the site, three speeders appeared on their scanners. The riders wore camouflage gear and upon dismounting, got their rifles at the ready.

  
     Dr. Keel approached them with his hands raised, calling out to them that they were a scientific expedition and meant no harm.

  
     The tropical nature of the moon caused a thin film of perspiration to spread over her body. Having rifles pointed at her caused it to now pool and drip down her face and the middle of her back. The other excavations sponsored by the university may have been dull, but she wanted more excitement, not danger.

  
     “Hands up! Everyone where we can see you!” The leader motioned with his rifle as the other two kept an armed and ready to shoot stance.

  
     Heart racing, Aelfwynn looked to her colleagues. The worry on their faces accompanied by their own beads of sweat told her enough that this was not an ideal situation to be in.

  
     Noa, a Twi'lek with a green tint to his skin just a few shades lighter than the leafy canopy around them returned her confused and worried gaze. Reela, a Rodian, well it was difficult to decipher her facial expression though her little snout. Jick and Flaria, human natives of Corellia had a little less worry and looked to their leader with confidence.

  
     Dr. Keel did not seem to show any fear, but retained a calm that undoubtedly was a product of his obsession with finding the academic treasure the moon had to bestow rather than put his team at ease.

  
     Smugglers? Pirates? Graverobbers? Imps? Rebels?

  
     The unusual ship activity. The barely matching gear. The basic look of the speeders. And the militia like roughness of the riders following their leader’s barked out orders. Aelfwynn had been around enough CorSec to distinguish a soldier from a smuggler.

  
     Her worry turned to relief. The Rebels were fighting against the Empire. Maybe the rest of the galaxy forgot the Republic, but an academic like herself knew not to trust the endless propaganda machine the Empire rolled out and rolled over countless star systems.

  
     She whispered to Noa, “It’s all right, they’re Rebels.”

  
     The last thing she remembered was one of the soldiers rushing to her with his rifle swinging back, gaining momentum, to strike her in her left eye.

  
     Aelfwynn put her fingers to the scar that soldier left her with, following the trickle of shower water over her brow, the hollow of her eye socket, and down her cheek.

  
     And then, dizziness.

  
      _Oh no. Not now. Not naked, in_ the _show-_

**Author's Note:**

> After reading so many great works by talented writers on this site, I decided to give it a try. It is my first fan fiction ever.  
> I try to do sufficient editing and research, but corrections are welcome and appreciated. (As are comments, etc.).  
> Trying to keep it classy, but there may be some mature themes eventually…maybe…probably…


End file.
